Senior high schools called liceum are attended by students aged 16-19 and end with a final exam which allows them to continue to higher education. There are several hundreds in Poland. Most are average but there are also elite ones with high level of teaching which is a result of careful selection of candidates. To attend such a school, a junior high school student must have a lot of points from: - certificate grades - final exam results - extra curricular activities - local or national competitions.
In this way elite schools can choose best candidates who later continue winning national and international competitions.
They are mostly old schools, with long traditions, attended by famous Poles.
E.g., HS No 5 Krakow was set up in 1871 and is ranked as one of the best in Poland.